How to Avoid HTML5 Game Design Mistakes

HTML5 is widely used for game development as the learning curve of HTML5 is not very steep and you can develop cross-browser games with ease. There are several associated technologies and frameworks that let the developers build 3D games with incredible features. In recent times, due to the popularity enjoyed by the mobile devices, the HTML5 game designers follow a mobile-first approach. As there is a vast array of mobile devices to cater, it becomes quite a challenge to create games that work smoothly on most of the devices.

Whether the HTML game developer is a novice or a seasoned one, he or she is bound to run into some issue or the other. Constant practice and encounter with these issues over a period of time teach the developers which approach to take and which one to avoid.

Some of the common HTML game development mistakes that must be avoided are:

Not verifying if the game already exists

Your game idea may appear new and fresh to you, but there may be a possibility that games with a similar idea might already exist in the app stores. If such a condition arises, you can either think of some other unique ideas or add more dimensions to the existing game idea and make a better one. In any case, it is advised that you check all the apps and game stores before you set to develop your own HTML5 game.

Starting everything from scratch

This is one of the most common mistakes that the most novice developers commit. There are many resources, libraries, and frameworks that are available in the market and can be used to ease the process of HTML5 game development. Coding from scratch consumes a lot of time and resources leading to high development cost. Use the existing tools rather than developing one on your own. You will be able to save time and resources and utilize them somewhere else.

Not choosing people with similar attitude to work together

It is very important to work with people who think on a similar frequency and are on the same page when it comes to HTML5 game development. Working with like-minded people helps create a work environment that is congenial for the creativity to be at its best. Such an environment ensures that the work goes in the right direction and the outcome is achieved as desired and expected. A leader with clear goals can work wonders for the project and steer it out of every issue it faces.

Setting a tough benchmark

The HTML5 game developer must understand the limitations of the technology that is being used to develop the game. Setting very high standards that are almost impossible to match with HTML5 is very unrealistic and can prove to be detrimental for the project. The developer along with the manager should set realistic benchmarks and put in efforts to achieve them. It is better to target only those platforms that have the largest volume of users rather making games compatible for each and every platform.

No code verification

This is also a quite common mistake most developers commit out of over-confidence or in a rush to wrap up the project. Verification of the code is of utmost importance as it helps the developers look for flaws in the program that might lead to crashes at the later stage. If your game has errors and bugs and you release it without removing them, the prospects of the game would be bleak as no user likes a game that has bugs and keeps crashing.

Not giving due importance to the feedback

Feedback is something that connects the developers from the real world usage of the app. The game developers are very excited and confident of their product and ignore the importance of feedbacks at times. The codes seem perfect in the test conditions. The real bugs and errors are caught only when the users test the games under real conditions. Feedbacks from the users can help in removing all the bugs and errors and make a flawless game. However, while involving other users and developers for the feedback, Non-disclosure agreements must be signed so that the confidentiality is not breached.

Inference that you deduce

You are now acquainted with some common mistakes that the HTML5 game developers often commit. Avoiding these mistakes will ensure that you are able to build the game in lesser time, thus saving big on the resources and concentrate on better marketing of the game. You will also be able to keep the legal troubles related to the code verification at the bay. These tips will also help you in understanding the limitations of HTML5 and what not to expect from it.

Author Bio: The author of the blog, Bryan Lazaris (@bryanlazaris) is a web developer working with HireWebDeveloper, a well-known web development company based in India. The author has considerable experience in writing on different technological aspects of web development and has published remarkable write-ups on several online portals.